Page 90 of Brainwashed

I swipe my fingers under his nose, catching blood on them. Using my other hand to take his chin, I tilt his head back just an inch. He moves with my guidance, no hesitations.

“Are you alright?” I ask quietly, checking his nose for a fracture. I don’t feel anything, which is a minor miracle considering how hard Velle was hitting him.

Felix nods, blinking at me. From this close, without his glasses on, I can really see the gray in his irises. There’s a hint of blue, something like periwinkle, mixed in with the deep, almost silvery color. Like a cloud of smoke blowing out from his pupils. It’s quite unique.

“It’s not broken,” I tell him, attempting to remain professional, though something seems to have shifted and the fact that I can’t tell what it is makes me feel like I’m suffocating.

“I can’t see you,” he murmurs, a deep rumble of a voice, still somehow soft in its richness. His tongue drags over the cut in his lip, and I find myself staring at it for too long.

“Stay.” My fingers slide off the smooth skin of his face and I turn to go find his glasses.

They’re on the floor by the couch, and when I pick them up, I notice a small crack in the right lens. It’s not terrible, but still. They’ll need to be replaced.

Coming back to Felix, I hand him the glasses while he runs his fingers through his damp chestnut hair. “I’ll get you new glasses.”

“Thank you,” he whispers. “For everything, I mean. For stopping him.”

I can’t help but stare at him for a moment. “You’re my patient, Felix. If he kills you, I’m out of a job.”

I have no earthly clue why I’m attempting humor. I’m not good at it. I don’t joke, and I’ve never cared to. But for some reason right now, I just feel like he needs it. And I’m not sure why I care…

Felix gives me a small grin as he slides his glasses back on, then cocks his head to the side. I take a step back. But he takes one forward. “I don’t think he knows about Dash yet…”

“I’m sure he’ll be figuring it out any minute.”

I step back again because I can stillfeelthe air around us and it’s overwhelming. There’s been some kind of shift, and now he’s looking at me as if he wants something.

But what…?

We need to get back on track here. That fight with Velle, seeing my patient hurt, it must have stirred up some protectiveness in me, that’s all. Having a gun pointed at me, the bizarre flicker of fear when it was pointed at him…

I clear my throat. This is all very odd. I don’t understand the tightness in my chest or the warmth in the room that seems to be coming directly from us.

“You should rest. It’s been a long day,” I tell him firmly.

I place my hand on his back gently to guide him toward the couch. But even just brushing my fingertips on the hard surface of his back feels peculiar right now. Felix audibly sucks in a small breath.

Keep making conversation. Ignore the way he’s looking at you.

“You can sleep on this couch until we figure out where they want to put you,” I say as professionally as I can manage, though now I’m thinking about him lying down on the couch and it’s turning my stomach as if I’m going to be sick. I think.

“I’m sorry about the keys,” Felix mumbles, leaning into me a bit.

“It’s fine. Sit, Felix.”

“But I’m not tired.” He turns his wide eyes back on me and I wouldloveto look away, but I refuse. I’m not afraid of this kid, no matter how theoretically dangerous he is.

“It doesn’t matter.” I point to the door. “Someone will be right out there keeping watch. Oh, and Kent will bring you new shoes.”

He’s running his thumb methodically over the cut on his lip.I need to go.

“Won’t you stay and keep me company?” he asks quietly, standing so close to me that I can feel his voice vibrating.

It’s with those words and the way his tone does this sultry lilt at the end that I finally give up the denial and admit to myself that I think he’s hitting on me. Maybe I should feel flattered? Of course, I’m not interested in men sexually, especially male sociopaths, so he’s barking up all the wrong trees. But still, it always feels nice to be wanted.

While I’m contemplating the best way out of this situation I’ve found myself in, Felix sort of brushes into me, and my knee-jerk reaction is to grab him by the biceps to steady us. But it doesn’t. Instead, I stumble backward onto the couch, plopping onto my ass on the velvet, and bringing Felix with me.

He somehow ends up on top of me, straddling my hips. And before I can push him off or move away, I have lips on mine.